Olivia Wilde Reacts to ‘Startling’ Red Carpet Photo of Her

Olivia Wilde is taking the comments about her recent “startling” red carpet appearance in stride.

The Don’t Worry Darling star, 42, took to her Instagram Story after her SFGATE interview at the April 24 San Francisco International Film Festival went viral, with social media users comparing her appearance to that of Lord of the Rings character Gollum.

In her own Instagram Story video, shared on Sunday, Wilde’s brother, Charles Cockburn, jokingly asked her, “Olivia Wilde, do you care to address recent rumors that you’re a resurrected corpse?”

The House alum responded, “Listen, that is a fisheye lens,” adding, “And I admit, is that my best angle? Was that my best ever look? No, it’s a startling image.”

She added with a laugh, “I don’t know why I was so close to the camera. I didn’t have to be. That’s not the truth,” quipping, I’m not dead.”

Wilde kept the jokes going in her caption, writing alongside the video, “Leave it to your little brother to give you the maximum amount of s—t.”

While Wilde’s appearance in the viral interview initially sparked speculation about her health, she had plenty of people also defending her in the comments. “If you Google this event you can see pictures of her that day where she doesn’t actually look like this,” one person wrote. “The camera here has a very unflattering lens. She does look thin but doesn’t look quite like this!”

“The phone was in ultrawide mode, anyone looks exactly like this, just calm down, people,” another person commented, as a third added, “This is a crazy camera angle! They need to change that setting.”

The actress sported a black, drop-waist skirt and white tee while attending the San Francisco International Film Festival to promote her upcoming film, The Invite. Wilde directs and stars in the film, which also features Seth Rogan, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton, and is set for a limited theatrical release starting June 26.

The dramedy, penned by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, follows a married couple whose relationship is already on thin ice. “When they invite their enigmatic upstairs neighbors for a dinner party, the night spirals into unexpected places,” the official logline reads. “Have they reignited the spark or lit the match that burns it all down?”